Apparatus for developing and finishing cinematograph color-films.



I. E. THORNTON. APPARATUS FOR DEVELOPING AND FINISHING CINEMATOQRAPH COLOR FILMS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 9. 1913.

1,169,096, Patented Jan. 18, 1916.

4 SHEETS-SHEET l- WITNESSES. I NVENTOR'. z Z fiwzflorzen LT "I'II UR'ITIUN.

APPARATUS FOR DEVELOPING AND FINISHING CINEMATOGRAPH COLOR FILMS.

APILICATION FILED MAY 9, 191 3.

Patented Jan. 18, 1916.

. 4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

A a IINVENTOR.

wad/w J. E. THORNTON.

APPARATUS FOR DEVELOPING AND FINISHING CINEMATOGRAPH COLOR FILMS.

APPLICATION'FILED MAY 9, 1913.

1,169,096. Pat ted Jan. 18, 1916.

4 SHEETSSHEET 3.

WITNESSES. INVENTOR.

.g ZA O r e J. E. THORNTON.

APPARATUS FOR DEVELOPING AND FINISHING CINEMATOGRAPH COLOR FILMS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 9. 1913.

1 169,096 Patented Jan. 18, 1916.

4 SHEETSSHEET 4.

'INVENTOR.

- i I a UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN EDWARD 'rnormaon, or nocnns'rnn, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO JOHN ownnn OBRIEN, or MANCHESTER, ENGLAND.

APPARATUS FOR DEVELOPING AND FINISHING CINEMATOGRAPH CLOR-IFILll/IS.

I Specification of Letters Pate:

Application filed May 9, 1913. Serial No. 766,595.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN EDWARD THORN- TON, a British subject, residing at Rochester,

New York, United States of America, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Developing and Finishing Cinematograph Color-Films, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus for developing and finishing of multi-color cinematograph films.

In producing cinematograph films of the ordinary monorchrome or one-color style, such as those printed on the ordinary silverbromid sensitive emulsion, there is no difficulty in developing them'at the desired rate and to the desired density, and stopping the process at the right moment. This is done by passing the film into, through and out of developing, fixing and washing baths for the correct period of time. In producing complete color picture films however, such as described in my application Serial No. 733633 filed November 26, 1912 where the section color pictures are printed side by side upon a multi-width film in different colors none of the methods of developing now known in the operator can stop the development of any one color when he considers the desired degree of density of the image has been reached while the further development in the other colors proceeds. 1

The invention therefore comprises more or less in combination: 1. A moving multiwidth film exposed to or printed with two, three or more series of section color pictures. 2. Means for simultaneously washing all the soluble salts out of the whole film. 3. Means for applying the developing colors or dyes to the continuously moving film,a different developer or dye to each series of section color pictures thereon, in a sharply defined or limited width, Without splashing, flooding, spreading, or otherwise overlapping the adjacent series. 4;. Means for arresting the application of any one color developer when the desired density of development has been reached. 5. Means for fixing the developer or washing off superfluous developer after its application has been stopped to prevent further action or spreading within the film. 6. Means for finishing the film by the application of hardening or softening solutions.

The invention will be fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a side elevation partly in se ction of apparatus designed to carry out the several operations of washing, developing, and fixing the two or more series of section color pictures on the multi-width film. Fig. 2 is a front elevation partly in section. Fig. is a perspective diagram of same. Fig. 4: is a modification showing a cone stepped roller for the film. Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation of a modification showing the dye or color developer or other solution percolating from pipes onto an absorbent roll er. Fig. 6 is a front elevation of the same. Fig. 7 is a sectional elevation of a further modificat1on showing the dye or color developer or other solution being supplied to the absorbent roller from a reservoir by a piece of wick..

The apparatus comprises a pair of very long rollers A and B mounted in a suitable frame 0 around which the continuous moving film D is wound so that it passes spirally from one to the other. The rollers A and B are fitted respectively with a number of flanges a and b to separate the edges of the film and prevent overlapping and to guide the film through themachine from one end to the other. The rollers A and B may be cylindrical between the flanges or slightly coned as shown in Fig. 4:-

Adjacent to the roller B a series of troughs E are arranged to carry the washing and developing and fixing or mordanting or other solutions, and in these troughs rollers e are mounted to apply the solutions Patented Jan. 18, 1916. I

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to the film as it travels past them. The rollers 6 may be of Wood, metal or other material and may be covered with an absorbent material.

For applying washing solutions the roller 6 may be the full width of the film to wash all three color sections at the same time but for applying the dyes or color developers and also the mordant or fixer the roller 6 in the trough E is the 'width of one section only of the film. The troughs may be made double as shown in Fig. 3, either to carry a double supply of the same dye or two different colored dyes, or a dye and a mordant. A plate or table F may be placed between the rollers over which the film D travels. Into the table F a glass panel f may be fitted with lamps G placed behind it to illuminate the film and enable its development to be easilyjudged. Colored strips H may be placed along-side to enable the intensity of coloring to be easily gaged. The rollers A and B are preferably placed as shown to cause the film to travel, at an inclination. to the horizontal though they may be set so that the film travels horizontally or vertically. The troughs and rollers are so set that the rollers can be readily withdrawn from contact with the film when the application or absorption of dye or color has reached the desired density.

In the arrangement shown in Fig. 1 two troughs are shown capable of rocking on a rod 6. ()nc trough may contain dye and the other trough a mordant or fixing solution. 0n tilting the lower trough to withdraw the roller 6 from contact with the film the roller in the upper trough is put into contact therewith. The bracket 6 carrying the two troughs is formed with a slot 6 so that by pushing the troughs backward both rollers are thrown out of contact with the film. Any other suitable form of trip device may be employed whereby the attendant can throw the roller out of contact with the moving film. Instead of troughs and rollers to apply the dye or color to the film as it passes over the rollers A and B the washing solution the dye or color and the fixing solution may be applied in a fine stream or spray or by a wiping or other suitable device, but I at present prefer the troughs and rollers.

In the modified form shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the dye or color developer or other solution is not held in a trough, but is allowed to percolate from exceedingly fine apertures 72 in the pipes P direct onto the absorbent rollers e in contact with the film Valves 7; are provided on the pipes P to shut off the supply of dye or color developer or other solution when the application or absorption of dye or color has reached the desired density. In the arrangement shown in Fig. 6, the dye or color developer or other solution is applied to the absorbent roller e in contact with the film D, from a reservoir R by a wick r. Where room permits the film may traverse a long table and the apparatus for washing, developing and fixing be applied at intervals throughout its length.

The operation of printing, developing and finishing inulit-width film with two or more series of section color pictures thereon such as is necessary for the production of the single-Width complete color picture film described in my application Serial N 0. 733633 filed November 26, 1912, is as follows: The film is printed or exposed to light for the desired length of time in a suitable machine such for example as described in my applications Serial Nos. 733632 and 745725, filed November 26, 1912 and February 1, 1913 re spectively and when printed the strip enters the machine passing over the rollers A and B in a number of spiral laps and traverses the machine from end to end. The film is first washed with water or a suitable solution by one or more sets of the rollers e in the troughs E to remove the soluble salts and leave the part of the film acted on by the light in a condition to receive and be developed by the dyes, or color developers. The water for washing may be applied by the rollers e as shown or the film may dip into the tanks and rollerbe applied to squeeze out superfluous water. When washed with water the film is treated with a solution of bisulfite lye and again with water in the same manner. The dyes or developers are then applied in succession to the several sections or" the film, for example red, yellow and blue-violet and so on until the desired density is reached, or one color may be first applied to several laps of the film until the desired density is reached, next the second dye or developer may be ap plied to several laps of the film until the desired density is reached, and so on. After the several sections of the film are colored to the desired density, mordants or fixing solutions may be applied in a similar manner. These solutions will vary accord ing to the particular type of dye used, for example, chrome alum, copper sulfate, or iron-alum. The application of the mordant or fixing solution first stops developing progress, then stops any lateral spreading of the dye to What should be the bare portions of the picture, it hardens or closes up the pores of the gelatin, and it precipitates the soluble dye as an insoluble one-which is termed a lake-within the gelatin, and reduces the dye to a permanent fixed color embedded in the now hardened body of gelatin. The still moving or traveling film 1s then washed with Water in a similar manner to remove all traces of any of the solutions. The film may if desired be har- I tions as being carried out in producing film pictures by the process'of bichromated colloids and dyes, it will be obvious that the system is applicable to color films produced by various other processes, for example silver bromid films that are developed and then toned to various colors, or silver bromid film produced by the dye substitution method, or other processes, and it may also be applied to coloring of single width films with two or more series of section color pictures printed thereon as for example described in my application Serial No. 733633, before mentioned.

What I claim as my invention and desire to protect by Letters Patent is 1. In a machine for developing multicolor cinematograph or motion picture films, the combination of means for advancing the film, and means for applying a plurality of developers of different colors side by side simultaneously to different sections of the film without mixing or overlapping of the developers.

2. In apparatus for developing multicolor cinematograph or motion picture films, the combination of means for advancing the film, means for applying to the film a. plurality of developers of difi'erent color side by side, and means'for interrupting the application of one or more of the developers to control the color and density of the difierent sections of the film.

3. In apparatus for developing multicolor cinematograph or motion picture films, the combination of means for continuously advancing a printed or exposed film in a series of helical laps, and means for applying dye or color thereto in succession as the film is continuously advanced.

4. In apparatus for developing multicolor cinematograph or motion picture films, the combination of means for traversing a printed or exposed film in a series of helical laps, means for applying dye or color to the several color sections of the moving film in rotation and in succession, means for applying a mordant or fixing solution to the moving film, and means for washing the film as the latter is continuously advanced.

5. In apparatus for developing multicolor cinematograph or motion picture films in different colors arranged side by side, the combination of means for advancing such film, means for applying developers of different colors to the different 'color sections of the film, and a color gage arranged adj acent to the traveling film.

6. A machine for developing and fixing multi-color cinematograph or motion picture films comprising means for moving such film in spiral laps, means for applying dyes or developer colors and mordants or fixing solutions to the films, and an illuminated transparent panel over which the film passes to aid in determining the density of development of the film.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN EDWARD THORNTON.

Witnesses:

Jorm R. Nnsmrr, SAML. J. Cox. 

